Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Suarez has probably never professed to loving the club they way Owen claims he does.

Still easiest one of the best footballers to play in a red shirt & with him being a mad tw*t to boot is probably why he gets a pass.

Well, I don't remember Owen biting anyone, downing tools, threatening the club with legal action, making eyes at Arsenal and all the other sh*t Suarez pulled every time he went away with his national team.Sterling didn't do any of that either, but he still gets dogs abuse.And let's not forget Shaggy running his contract down, and making excuses not to play in his last season so his move wouldn't be fu**ed up by injury.

It's double standards, pure and simple.

As I said before, I tend not to be too fussed about ex-players. When they're gone, they're gone, but sometimes the way they leave pisses me off.Coutinho get's called all sorts of names, but Suarez who arguably did much worse to force a move, still gets a pass.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Well, I don't remember Owen biting anyone, downing tools, threatening the club with legal action, making eyes at Arsenal and all the other sh*t Suarez pulled every time he went away with his national team.Sterling didn't do any of that either, but he still gets dogs abuse.And let's not forget Shaggy running his contract down, and making excuses not to play in his last season so his move wouldn't be fu**ed up by injury.

It's double standards, pure and simple.

As I said before, I tend not to be too fussed about ex-players. When they're gone, they're gone, but sometimes the way they leave pisses me off.Coutinho get's called all sorts of names, but Suarez who arguably did much worse to force a move, still gets a pass.

It's bollocks.

So Owen didn't avoid signing a contract throughout 2003/2004 which was offered to him by Parry because "his agent was on sabbatical" costing the club 30 odd million, knowing full well Madrid wouldn't pay that?

Suarez did all that sh*t, yet still gave his f**king all playing like a man possessed having a crack at the league in 2013/2014.

Mcmanaman I could understand his behaviour, the club seeing ££££ signs basically allowed him to be used by Barca while signing Ronaldinho. And was then treated like a dog and scapegoat at the end of the next game a 1-1 draw away to Blackburn.

It's easy to slag players when they leave but the behaviour of the club needs to be looked at as well. I'm sure the club have only been too happy to accept the money in big deals then blame the player for wanting to leave!

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

So Owen didn't avoid signing a contract throughout 2003/2004 which was offered to him by Parry because "his agent was on sabbatical" costing the club 30 odd million, knowing full well Madrid wouldn't pay that?

Suarez did all that sh*t, yet still gave his f**king all playing like a man possessed having a crack at the league in 2013/2014.

Mcmanaman I could understand his behaviour, the club seeing ££££ signs basically allowed him to be used by Barca while signing Ronaldinho. And was then treated like a dog and scapegoat at the end of the next game a 1-1 draw away to Blackburn.

It's easy to slag players when they leave but the behaviour of the club needs to be looked at as well. I'm sure the club have only been too happy to accept the money in big deals then blame the player for wanting to leave!

Why should any player sign a new contract, given a club can pretty much f**k them off whenever they feel like it?It wasn't his problem, and if what he says in the interview is true, the club were more than happy to have him back, but got gazumped by Newcastle because they didn't want to pay a few extra quid.

Owen gave his all in every game, and ruined his body at a young age for the club, hitting almost twice as many goals for us as Suarez, and also winning trophies for us, something Suarez failed to do apart from 1.

Compared to the way Suarez behaved, Owen was a f**king angel, and yet Suarez gets a free pass.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Why should any player sign a new contract, given a club can pretty much f**k them off whenever they feel like it?It wasn't his problem, and if what he says in the interview is true, the club were more than happy to have him back, but got gazumped by Newcastle because they didn't want to pay a few extra quid.

Owen gave his all in every game, and ruined his body at a young age for the club, hitting almost twice as many goals for us as Suarez, and also winning trophies for us, something Suarez failed to do apart from 1.

Compared to the way Suarez behaved, Owen was a f**king angel, and yet Suarez gets a free pass.

Suarez doesn't get a free pass.

Don't think anyone has forgotten the way he acted with Arsenal. However, he also didn't come up with Liverpool like Owen. Regardless of your love for Liverpool, Suarez came to us as a player with no affinity to the club, just a damn good player.

Stories are that Gerrard got in his ear and convinced him to give us one more good year, and get the move he deserved. And did he ever! That man almost broke himself trying to drag an average squad over the line for a title. His tears at the end of that f**king nightmare Palace game tell me all I need to know about him. Regardless of how f**king mad he is at times, his imperfections, he f**king just wanted to win. That's the kind of fella I want on the field. In those moments, he was not thinking of anything else. Wasn't thinking of future moves, not thinking of Barca in summer, not thinking of the World Cup - he wanted Liverpool to win.

Sure, the biting stuff was maddening as f**k. But I recall a great piece done on Suarez a few years ago, about his life - he was a street baller. Proper violent footy. Think there was guns pulled on the field once on a ref. That was his life growing up. He learned to scrap for results. It isn't an excuse, but it is an experience that moulds a man. He's used to life on the line football. His only way out of poverty for himself and his childhood sweetheart was footy. So he will stop at nothing. Yes, the cultural difference with a proper pro league in England will mean that is at odds with the mad aspects of his psyche - that's something he lives with, and we had to live with. But he was our f**king mad b***ard, and I loved him.

I can't say the same for Owen. For all the good he was for Liverpool, my enduring memory is his last season and then taking off to Madrid for f**k all, and then that damn United move. I don't hate him like I did in my my immature early 20s when the move happened. Sh*t happens. But I never really saw the life on the line footy from Owen that I saw from Suarez every time he took the field for us. So that's where a line can be drawn for me - not that I hate anyone more or less, simply that I felt that Suarez would leave it all on the pitch more than Owen.

Fascinating the stuff about his injuries, post injury to be precise. His talk about not trusting his body, to the point of actually putting himself in the wrong positions so Macca wouldn't even see him as an option so he wouldn't bother trying to get it to him. That kind of mental stress is something no one can know unless you're him. So fair play.

Still think the United move was ill advised. But I don't harbour any real animosity like I did then. Think my main worry at that time was if he ever f**king scored against us in that shirt, I'd have f**king lost it!

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Well, I don't remember Owen biting anyone, downing tools, threatening the club with legal action, making eyes at Arsenal and all the other sh*t Suarez pulled every time he went away with his national team.Sterling didn't do any of that either, but he still gets dogs abuse.And let's not forget Shaggy running his contract down, and making excuses not to play in his last season so his move wouldn't be fu**ed up by injury.

It's double standards, pure and simple.

As I said before, I tend not to be too fussed about ex-players. When they're gone, they're gone, but sometimes the way they leave pisses me off.Coutinho get's called all sorts of names, but Suarez who arguably did much worse to force a move, still gets a pass.

It's bollocks.

nah Coutinho behaved worse than Suarez in terms of refusing to play and acting like a c**t, but I do agree that Owen and Sterling get more abuse than they deserve but perhaps its because they were home grown players and therefore it hurts more when they force a move or join a rival etc.I actually think McManaman was a much bigger pr**k for the way he refused to sign a new contract, but then I never get the sense that he cares much for Liverpool anyway.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Why should any player sign a new contract, given a club can pretty much f**k them off whenever they feel like it?It wasn't his problem, and if what he says in the interview is true, the club were more than happy to have him back, but got gazumped by Newcastle because they didn't want to pay a few extra quid.

Owen gave his all in every game, and ruined his body at a young age for the club, hitting almost twice as many goals for us as Suarez, and also winning trophies for us, something Suarez failed to do apart from 1.

Compared to the way Suarez behaved, Owen was a f**king angel, and yet Suarez gets a free pass.

Actually if you listened to the interview then its clear that Owen did NOT give his all in every game, and purposefully stood in bad positions so as not to have to sprint, which explains a lot actually because it would drive me mad how he would stand the wrong side of defenders etc towards the end of his time with us.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Don't think anyone has forgotten the way he acted with Arsenal. However, he also didn't come up with Liverpool like Owen. Regardless of your love for Liverpool, Suarez came to us as a player with no affinity to the club, just a damn good player.

Stories are that Gerrard got in his ear and convinced him to give us one more good year, and get the move he deserved. And did he ever! That man almost broke himself trying to drag an average squad over the line for a title. His tears at the end of that f**king nightmare Palace game tell me all I need to know about him. Regardless of how f**king mad he is at times, his imperfections, he f**king just wanted to win. That's the kind of fella I want on the field. In those moments, he was not thinking of anything else. Wasn't thinking of future moves, not thinking of Barca in summer, not thinking of the World Cup - he wanted Liverpool to win.

Sure, the biting stuff was maddening as f**k. But I recall a great piece done on Suarez a few years ago, about his life - he was a street baller. Proper violent footy. Think there was guns pulled on the field once on a ref. That was his life growing up. He learned to scrap for results. It isn't an excuse, but it is an experience that moulds a man. He's used to life on the line football. His only way out of poverty for himself and his childhood sweetheart was footy. So he will stop at nothing. Yes, the cultural difference with a proper pro league in England will mean that is at odds with the mad aspects of his psyche - that's something he lives with, and we had to live with. But he was our f**king mad b***ard, and I loved him.

I can't say the same for Owen. For all the good he was for Liverpool, my enduring memory is his last season and then taking off to Madrid for f**k all, and then that damn United move. I don't hate him like I did in my my immature early 20s when the move happened. Sh*t happens. But I never really saw the life on the line footy from Owen that I saw from Suarez every time he took the field for us. So that's where a line can be drawn for me - not that I hate anyone more or less, simply that I felt that Suarez would leave it all on the pitch more than Owen.

EDIT:

Just watching this. Thanks for sharing Purple.

Fascinating the stuff about his injuries, post injury to be precise. His talk about not trusting his body, to the point of actually putting himself in the wrong positions so Macca wouldn't even see him as an option so he wouldn't bother trying to get it to him. That kind of mental stress is something no one can know unless you're him. So fair play.

Still think the United move was ill advised. But I don't harbour any real animosity like I did then. Think my main worry at that time was if he ever f**king scored against us in that shirt, I'd have f**king lost it!

That's the thing though, Suarez does indeed get a free pass from some on here, even to the point of making excuses for his behaviour.

People can dress it up however they want, but it doesn't alter the fact that Suarez acted like a proper c**t in the off season for 2 years.

I'd also say, again, that Owen did far more for this club than Suarez did, and yet people get all dewy eyed, and actually want the c**t back so that he can use us again?We see it every transfer window, people wanting "a cheeky bid" or "tell Barca we want Suarez for him" and all the rest of the sh*te.

It's double standards, plain and simple.

With Owen, the club weren't prepared to pay an extra few million to get him even though he wanted to come back, so in all likelihood they knew his body was fu**ed and thought "no chance".That's 2 young lads we fu**ed up around the same time by overplaying them.So considering we fu**ed him up, and then didn't want to pay a few extra quid to get him back, what f**king right has anyone to dictate which club he should have gone to, and bear in mind it's not like he went straight there, and actually said he wanted to come back here, but we fu**ed him off again.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

That's the thing though, Suarez does indeed get a free pass from some on here, even to the point of making excuses for his behaviour.

I don't make excuses for his behaviour, but unless you're an angel then no one has a right to say he's a horrible human being for outrageous things that happen on the field without understanding context - especially when off the field the fella is generally pretty sound from all reports. It's not excusing the behaviour, it's understanding it in the context of his life story and why it has taken him a long time and a hell of a lot of work to try and temper it.

People can dress it up however they want, but it doesn't alter the fact that Suarez acted like a proper c**t in the off season for 2 years.

And Owen did nothing wrong whatsoever? This is my point. If you're saying Suarez acted a proper c**t, then at least admit Owen wasn't golden either. You're banging on about double standards while using them right now.

I'd also say, again, that Owen did far more for this club than Suarez did, and yet people get all dewy eyed, and actually want the c**t back so that he can use us again?We see it every transfer window, people wanting "a cheeky bid" or "tell Barca we want Suarez for him" and all the rest of the sh*te.

Owen did a f**king shitload. But so did Suarez. Maybe it doesn't show in cups, but he was bought right at a time when we'd just fu**ed off disastrous owners, fu**ed off a disastrous manager, and had Kenny come in and go on a spending spree for fellas like Adam, Downing, and Henderson (while turning out a good buy as a reliable club man, he didn't start well). Suarez was by far the best player here, unlike now where there can be genuine arguments made for multiple fellas. Again, he did all he could to drag this team to the brink of a title, equalling the scoring record only surpassed by our Mo, and not even playing the first month or so of the season. He used us? We used the hell out of the little c**t as well. His contribution kept us relevant at a time we often teetered on being completely out of the major picture. As an overseas fan from Aussie that lived in the US at the time, him and Gerrard were the only two people could really pin to Liverpool in casual pub talk.

Owen didn't come in to a Liverpool team that had just been in massive financial troubles, the worst manager to ever manage, a team that had found themselves in the relegation zone for a time with a manager that only knows relegation and mid table battles. His road to go on and win things with Liverpool was a little shorter from his beginnings rather than Suarez.

With Owen, the club weren't prepared to pay an extra few million to get him even though he wanted to come back, so in all likelihood they knew his body was fu**ed and thought "no chance".That's 2 young lads we fu**ed up around the same time by overplaying them.So considering we fu**ed him up, and then didn't want to pay a few extra quid to get him back, what f**king right has anyone to dictate which club he should have gone to, and bear in mind it's not like he went straight there, and actually said he wanted to come back here, but we fu**ed him off again.

An extra few million at the time was massive dollars, why the f**k would we if his body was fu**ed? While an argument can be made for how much his body went through at the time with minutes played, blaming the club for playing a player clearly skilled enough to play is somewhat curious. Plenty of other young players have come through many clubs over the years and not gone through the same injury troubles - some are simply unlucky in having that kind of body, he says as much. I myself, due to some hyper flexible joints, am much more susceptible to ankle injuries and the like (have blown out my ankle and had reconstructions before). While modern medicine always helps, it's only as good as it can be at the time. It's unfortunate, but I can't imagine he would have done it any different. He wanted to play, and he was good enough to do so as well.

We don't have any f**king right, of course. You are quite right. Hence why he went to United and didn't adhere to what us fans were saying. But we have a right to be hurt by it, as we do truly hold them as a bitter hated rival, especially under the manager he played under at the time. I've often heard reports that no matter what happened, Torres would NEVER have gone to Real. He was boyhood Atletico player, and understood the rivalry. Just as we thought Owen, as a boyhood Liverpool player, would have understood.

All well and good for him to want to come back when it suits him, but he held us ransom and fu**ed off to Madrid when he thought that would help his career as well. You talk about Suarez "using us" - Owen wanted game time. Sure his preference was us, but he was using whatever situation would help him get to the World Cup again.

Don't bang on about double standards when the same argument can be applied, in a different manner. I actually agree with you that Owen doesn't need to be vilified so much. I just don't agree that Suarez and Owen are miles apart, one a c**t, the other not. Either they're both absolute sh*t cu*ts, or they're both blokes that gave us some good times - one of them just pissed us off a bit more for a while playing for those cu*ts in Manchester.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Boss player for us. Really good. Just feels a bit weird when I try to call him a legend. 2001 cup final, what a lad.

When he left for Madrid I couldn't blame him, although, I didn't like it but Rafa coming in sort of glossed over it that Summer.

All the stuff after, wanting to come back, us wanting him back, Newcastle, etc. Meh.

I hate that he played for Man Utd but I'm not sure I could blame him for accepting them at that point in his career. Other players would've just not even contemplated that move, others would have thought, like Michael, that they were biting their noses off to spite their face with it and gone there.

I don't hate him I just feel that when I try and remember his time here there's a tainted sort of feel to the reminiscing but the days of me throwing little childish digs at him are over.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Boss player for us. Really good. Just feels a bit weird when I try to call him a legend. 2001 cup final, what a lad.

When he left for Madrid I couldn't blame him, although, I didn't like it but Rafa coming in sort of glossed over it that Summer.

All the stuff after, wanting to come back, us wanting him back, Newcastle, etc. Meh.

I hate that he played for Man Utd but I'm not sure I could blame him for accepting them at that point in his career. Other players would've just not even contemplated that move, others would have thought, like Michael, that they were biting their noses off to spite their face with it and gone there.

I don't hate him I just feel that when I try and remember his time here there's a tainted sort of feel to the reminiscing but the days of me throwing little childish digs at him are over.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

I don't make excuses for his behaviour, but unless you're an angel then no one has a right to say he's a horrible human being for outrageous things that happen on the field without understanding context - especially when off the field the fella is generally pretty sound from all reports. It's not excusing the behaviour, it's understanding it in the context of his life story and why it has taken him a long time and a hell of a lot of work to try and temper it.

And Owen did nothing wrong whatsoever? This is my point. If you're saying Suarez acted a proper c**t, then at least admit Owen wasn't golden either. You're banging on about double standards while using them right now.

Owen did a f**king shitload. But so did Suarez. Maybe it doesn't show in cups, but he was bought right at a time when we'd just fu**ed off disastrous owners, fu**ed off a disastrous manager, and had Kenny come in and go on a spending spree for fellas like Adam, Downing, and Henderson (while turning out a good buy as a reliable club man, he didn't start well). Suarez was by far the best player here, unlike now where there can be genuine arguments made for multiple fellas. Again, he did all he could to drag this team to the brink of a title, equalling the scoring record only surpassed by our Mo, and not even playing the first month or so of the season. He used us? We used the hell out of the little c**t as well. His contribution kept us relevant at a time we often teetered on being completely out of the major picture. As an overseas fan from Aussie that lived in the US at the time, him and Gerrard were the only two people could really pin to Liverpool in casual pub talk.

Owen didn't come in to a Liverpool team that had just been in massive financial troubles, the worst manager to ever manage, a team that had found themselves in the relegation zone for a time with a manager that only knows relegation and mid table battles. His road to go on and win things with Liverpool was a little shorter from his beginnings rather than Suarez.

An extra few million at the time was massive dollars, why the f**k would we if his body was fu**ed? While an argument can be made for how much his body went through at the time with minutes played, blaming the club for playing a player clearly skilled enough to play is somewhat curious. Plenty of other young players have come through many clubs over the years and not gone through the same injury troubles - some are simply unlucky in having that kind of body, he says as much. I myself, due to some hyper flexible joints, am much more susceptible to ankle injuries and the like (have blown out my ankle and had reconstructions before). While modern medicine always helps, it's only as good as it can be at the time. It's unfortunate, but I can't imagine he would have done it any different. He wanted to play, and he was good enough to do so as well.

We don't have any f**king right, of course. You are quite right. Hence why he went to United and didn't adhere to what us fans were saying. But we have a right to be hurt by it, as we do truly hold them as a bitter hated rival, especially under the manager he played under at the time. I've often heard reports that no matter what happened, Torres would NEVER have gone to Real. He was boyhood Atletico player, and understood the rivalry. Just as we thought Owen, as a boyhood Liverpool player, would have understood.

All well and good for him to want to come back when it suits him, but he held us ransom and fu**ed off to Madrid when he thought that would help his career as well. You talk about Suarez "using us" - Owen wanted game time. Sure his preference was us, but he was using whatever situation would help him get to the World Cup again.

Don't bang on about double standards when the same argument can be applied, in a different manner. I actually agree with you that Owen doesn't need to be vilified so much. I just don't agree that Suarez and Owen are miles apart, one a c**t, the other not. Either they're both absolute sh*t cu*ts, or they're both blokes that gave us some good times - one of them just pissed us off a bit more for a while playing for those cu*ts in Manchester.

That's the whole point of what I'm saying.Owen is treated like a pariah, Suarez gets a free pass from many (not you, but others).I see them both in exactly the same way.

Like I've said many times, when players leave I tend to just switch off from them, not interested anymore.In that way, I treat Owen and Suarez exactly the same way.Was I pissed off at how Owen left? Yes.I was also pissed off (probably more so) by Suarez's antics to force a move.I didn't particularly want Owen to come back, and I don't want Suarez to come back.

I don't care if Suarez was the best player here, he was a c**t.Owen was less of a c**t, but he still left on dodgy terms so he goes (for me) in the same category as Suarez.

Let's look at another player who gets dogs abuse, in Sterling.Didn't kick up too much of a fuss, we got good money for him, and yet he is (again) a pariah, while Suarez gets nothing like the same amount of abuse.

Again, to me they all belong in the same category of "meh", as in I don't really give a f**k about them once they're gone, and if they leave on bad or dodgy terms, then it pisses me off a bit.They don't want to be here? Fine, see ya.That's my attitude.

Re: Michael Owen (Manchester United > Stoke City)

Boss player for us. Really good. Just feels a bit weird when I try to call him a legend. 2001 cup final, what a lad.

When he left for Madrid I couldn't blame him, although, I didn't like it but Rafa coming in sort of glossed over it that Summer.

All the stuff after, wanting to come back, us wanting him back, Newcastle, etc. Meh.

I hate that he played for Man Utd but I'm not sure I could blame him for accepting them at that point in his career. Other players would've just not even contemplated that move, others would have thought, like Michael, that they were biting their noses off to spite their face with it and gone there.

I don't hate him I just feel that when I try and remember his time here there's a tainted sort of feel to the reminiscing but the days of me throwing little childish digs at him are over.

I hope he enjoys the rest of his life shagging his horses.

Sums it up pretty well.

I was watching the youtube video of all his goals, and some of the ones he scored were right up there with anything I've seen from us either before or since.